Coupler and yoke connection



March 18, 1930. s. B.IHASELTINE 1,751,150

COUPLER AND YOKE CONNECTION Filed June 18,1928

fave/air Patented Mar. 18, 1930 f.

UNETED STATES STACY .B. HASELTINE, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIG-NOR TO W. H. MINER, INC, 01? i CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELA NARE COUPLER AND YOKE CONNECTION Application fil ed June 18,

This invention relates to improvements in coupler and yoke connections. One object of the invention is to provide a coupler and yoke connection for railway draft riggings, wherein the coupler shank is provided with a connecting element especially designed for connection to a yoke having a head, accommodating the inner end of the coupler shank, the connecting element being provided with relatively large bearing members which are swiveled to the top and bottom walls of the yoke head.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide means for connecting a coupler of that type, having the butt end of the shank provided with vertically disposed rivet-receiving openings, to the yoke of a railway draft rigging, wherein the yoke is provided with a hood member receiving the coupler shank and the coupler shank is swiveled to the yoke, the swiveled connection being formed by an element headed at one end and having a solid shank and a detachable head at the other end, the coupler shank being bored out between the rivet openings to accommodate the solid shank of the connecting element, and the heads at the opposite ends of the connecting element being swiveled in the top and bottom walls of the hood of the yoke and having shouldered engagement with the top and bottom sides of the coupler butt to prevent removal of the connecting element.

Other and further objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawing, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a horizontal, longitudinal, sectional view of a portion of the underframe structure of a railway car at one end of the same, illustrating my improve ments in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a longitudinal, vertical, sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 22 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a horizontal, longitudinal, sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 3-3 of Figure 2. And Figure 4 is a horizontal, sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

In said drawings, 10-10 indicate the usual 1928. Serial No. 286,175.

known type, provided with the usual front and rear main middle, and front and rear intermediate stop shoulders. The striking casting, which is secured to the draft sills, is designated by 12 and has secured thereto a carry iron 18 provided with a wear plate 14 which isinterposed between the carry iron and the bottom side of the coupler shank.

In carrying out my invention, I provide, broadly, a yoke member A, a coupler B, a connecting element C, and a locking member D.

The yoke A is provided with the usual top and bottom members 15-15 connected at their inner ends by a vertical section, not shown. The top and bottom members 15 of the yoke are connected at their forward ends by vertically disposed, spaced, relatively short side walls 1616. I The usual shock absorbing mechanism, in-

dicated by 17, is disposed within the yoke and cooperates with a front main follower 18. The shock absorbing mechanism 17 as'herein illustrated, is of the friction shell type and includes the usual friction shell, cooperating friction shoes, main wedge member and spring resistance. The wedge member of the friction shock absorbing mechanism bears directly on the inner side of the front main follower 18 I The side walls 16 of the yoke A are flared outwardly at their forward ends, to accommodate the inner end of the coupler shank for lateral swinging movement. The top and bottom members 15 are provided with'aligned circular openings 20-20 which form bearings for the top and bottom heads of the connecting element C, as hereinafter more clearly pointed out. The top, bottom and side walls of the yoke member define a hood section which receives the inner end of the coupler shank.

The coupler B is of well known type and is provided with the usual head, not shown, having a shank rearwardly extending therefrom, the shank being vertically enlarged, as indicated at 21, thereby providing a shouldered butt end. The butt section of the coupler shank is provided with a vertical opening22, which is elongated longitudinally of the coupler shank. The central portion of the open ing 22 is of substantially circular section, while the front and rear portions thereof are of partly circular sect-ion of smaller diameter than the central portion, the front and rear partly circular portions corresponding to the usual spaced, vertically disposed, rivet-receiving op enings of the coupler butt.

In connecting couplers of the type havingenlarged shouldered butt sections'atthe" inner ends of the shank, providedwithspaced vertical rivet-receiving openings, L0 the yoke member A, the metal 'betweenthe rivet-receiving openings is bored out to provide the enlarged central section of the opening 22, hereinbefore referred to, thus adapting this type of coupler for connection to theyoke member A.

' As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the coupler shank is provided with the usual transversely The head member 25 is of such'a diameter as V to fit the top bearing opening 20 of the yoke member A, so as to have pivotal movement therein. The shank portion 24 of the element C corresponds in horizontal section to the opening 22 of the coupler butt so that the connecting element will beheld against rota tion with respect to the coupler shank. At

the bottom end, the connecting element C'is provided with a reduced cylindrical section V 26 over which is telescoped the locking member D. v

The locking member D is in the form of a cap having a main body portion 27 of cylindrical form fitting within the bearing opening 20 of the bot-tom member. 15 of the yoke A, so as to have pivotal movement in said opening.-

- As is clearly shown in Figure 2, the main body portion of the locking element D is of greater height than the thickness of the bottom member 15 of the yoke A. -At the outer end, the cap D is cut away'at opposite sides. as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 4-, thereby providing a section of reduced width which accommodates a cotter pin 28 extending transversely therethrough. The cap D is provided with a vertical opening or bore 29, enlargedadjacent the upper end, as indicated at 30, to accommodate the cylindrical section 26 at the lower end of the connecting element 0.. Above the enlarged portion 30, the opening 29 is formed to accommodate the rivetlike front and rear portions of the shank 24: of the connecting element C, as most clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. The bottom extremity of the connecting element C is of the cross section shown in Figure 4: and the shown in Figures 2 and 4:.

In assembling the par-ts of my improved coupler andyoke connection, the butt end of the coupler shank, which has been previously bored to provideanopening of the cross section shown in Figures 1 and 2, is inserted within the hood'portion of the yoke member A and the locking member D is inserted through the top opening 20 of the hood of the is secured thereto by the cotter pin 28, as r yoke so as to dispose the shank of the connecting element in the opening of the coupler butt and projectthe reduced lower end section of the connecting element through the opening 20 of the bottom member 15 of the yoke. The. locking member D is then telescoped over the lower end portion of the shank of the connecting element C and thus locked thereto against relative rotation, and the cotter pin 28 appliedto secure the same. 1

As will be evident, the locking member D is thus rigidly connected to the bottom end of the connecting element U, thereby providing a connecting element having cylindrical heads at the top and bottom ends thereof which are swiveled within the bearing openings 20 of the yoke member A. Inasmuch as the heads at the opposite ends of the connecting element are of larger size than the vertical opening in the butt end of the couplershank, displacement-of the connecting elee ment in a vertical direction is positively prevented, thereby holding the parts permanently' assembled. The connectingelement Gthus provides for swiveling movement of the coupler with respect to the yoke member A. As shown in Figure 1, the inner end of the coupler shank bears directly on the front main follower 18 and in a bufling action the buffing forces through the butt end of the coupler shank to the main follower 18 and to the shock ab sorbing mechanism 17. In a draft action, the coupler is pulled outwardly, thereby pulling the yoke member outwardly also and comare. transmitted directly i pressing the shock absorbing mechanism 17 between the inner end of the yoke and the front main follower 18, which is held station: ary by engagement with the front outer'stop shoulders of the side castings 11. The draft action is. transmitted from the coupler shank to the yoke A through the connecting element C, which provides a rugged swiveled connection between the parts.

WVhile I haveherein shown and described whatIconsiderthe preferred manner of carrying out my invention, the same is 'merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications which come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a railway draft rigging, the combination with a coupler; of a yoke having spaced arms adapted to receive the butt end of the coupler shank therebetween; a connecting element extending through the shank and held against rotation with respect to said shank, said connecting element having a fixed head at one end and a detachable head at the other end secured thereto against relative rotation, the heads being swiveled in said top and bottom arms of the yoke and forming trunnion members of relatively large diameter for pivotally connecting the coupler shank to the yoke.

2. In a railway draft rigging, the combination with a coupler; of a yoke provided with a hooded end receiving the butt end of the coupler shank; a connecting element extending through said coupler butt and held against rotation relatively thereto, said element having heads at the opposite ends thereof, swiveled in opposed walls of the hooded end of the yoke, said heads having shouldered engagement with the coupler butt to prevent removal of said element, one of said heads being detachable.

3. In a railway draft rigging, the combination with a coupler having a vertically disposed opening in the shank thereof, said opening being elongated lengthwise 0f the coupler and being centrally enlarged; of a yoke having a hooded end provided with hearing openings in the top and bottom walls thereof; a connecting element fitting the opening of the coupler shank, said connecting element having an integral head atone end and a detachable head at the other end, said head-s being swiveled in the bearing openings of the hood and being of larger size than the opening in the coupler Shank, to thereby hold said element assembled with the coupler and yoke, the connecting element having a cylindrical end section over which the detachable head is telescoped; and means for securing the detachable head to the connecting element.

4. In a railway draft rigging, the combination with a coupler; of a yoke having spaced wall sections embracing the butt end of the coupler, said wall sections being provided with bearing openings; a connecting element extending through the coupler and means for fixing the detachable head to the connecting element. a

5. In a railway draft rigging, the combination with a coupler; of a yoke element having a hooded end section adapted to receive the coupler shank butt; a connecting element having heads at opposite ends thereof and an intermediate shank portion comprising spaced sections of partly cylindrical form, corresponding to spaced rivet members, and a central enlarged cylindrical connecting portion'formed integral with said sections, said shank portion extending through the butt end of the coupler shank, said butt end of the coupler shank being provided with an opening corresponding in cross section to the cross section of the shank of the connecting element to accommodate the shank of the connecting element, the head members at the opposite ends of the connecting element being journaled in bearing openings in the top and bottom wall members of the hood section of the yoke.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 15th day of June, 1928.

, STACY B. HASELTINE.

shank and held against rotation relative 

